Dear friends,

Last week on the island of Yerba Buena, messenger Mercury was passing out tickets for a roundtrip to Cloudland. Did you go? After all Mercury's hard work in Aquarius, Mercury is now taking a break in Pisces. He is lounging on the dunes nears the ocean, reading Pablo Neruda, listening to Debussy's La Mer and watching the waves go up and down. Don't expect Mercury (ditto our minds) to remember all the little details these 3 weeks. Give some space, and read poetry instead.

With Mercury on a little seaside vacation, the scribe would like to note some interesting events of last week. Our new Attorney General Gonzalez (aka Torture Lawyer) has a thing with Neptune. Hearings took place with Sun conjunct Neptune, and his confirmation took place with Venus conjunct Neptune. So much for Neptune acting as 'the higher octave of Venus.' (See last week's column for why this oft repeated mantra is just not true.) In the political sphere, Neptune is related to deception and lies more than anything else. I'll be watching further transits of planets to Neptune for more of Gonzalez.

But we also had some very good news. The Kyoto Accords went into effect on Wednesday as we had an exact trine of Venus to Jupiter. This mean the two benefics of Love and the Good were giving each other a long sumptuous hug at the time Kyoto took effect. I don't know all the stipulations and ramifications of these laws but I do know the astrology, and it was truly beneficial. It's possible that a Chinese or Indian astrologer selected this date. Regardless, because the Kyoto Accords were enacted with such good astrology, these laws deserves support.

Astrology gives us a very interesting barometer on all kinds of events. If something comes into being under good astrology it is good. If it arrives under bad astrology it is bad. Spare me the moral relativism. Gonzales is lying, period. Why? Because that's what we get with Neptune. If that example is not convincing enough, Bush's Iraq War began with the Sun and Moon both in signs of Mars. This means aggression as Mars is the God of War. Getting blown up by bombs is bad. A law that prevents corporations from frying our planet to a crisp is good.

Did you sense the Sun's change of sign into Pisces on Friday? Our center of truth and light is now out of intellectual Aquarius and into the emotional water sign of Pisces. We feel our connection to the all. We also insist on a sweet inner experience. This can mean music, art, mediation, higher love and the like; it can also happen in a more limited way through sugar and alcohol.

99% of astrologers think that Neptune rules Pisces. For two thousand years this sign was given to Jupiter. What gives?

Neptune does have some affinity to Pisces. Planets near Neptune (Mercury or Moon conjunct or trine Neptune, for example) can produce psychic awareness. Pisces easily connects to everything so it does this too. Neptune produces music and art, as does Pisces. Neptune aspects mean indulgence in alcohol and other mind altering substances. Pisces does the same. opening our minds. So why am I saying Neptune doesn't rule Pisces?

Neptune has a dissolving effect on material reality. Check your own chart if you doubt. Neptune in the 1st house of your own character means you might be a talented artist and borderline psychic, but you also have unexplained allergies and chronic fatigue because your physical energy is weak. Neptune in the 2nd means your money dissolves. Why? Check the ruler of Neptune and its house placement. If you have Neptune in the 2nd and the ruler of Neptune in the 5th, this means your money dissolves because of the ways you have fun, or perhaps because of your kids if you are older.

Just like all of real astrology, there are no simple cookbook statements that always apply. Each planet in a position is colored by the house, ruler and aspects, and the rest of the chart. A beneficial Neptune in the 2nd might be in conjunct Venus in Libra. This might make you a very talented artist, and you might make some money with this. But still you might experience a dissolution of your money in some way or the other - maybe a deal with a business partner goes bad.

Pisces, however, is the house of blessings. In the traditional view, Pisces is ruled by Jupiter and is the sign where Venus is exalted. It is the only sign that connects to both benefics. Wherever we have Pisces in our chart, we have gifts. Real blessings, not imaginary ones. Pisces on the 7th means we benefit greatly from our relationships. Pisces on the 9th means our education, foreign travel and spiritual life produce some of the highlights of our lives. And so on through the rest of the chart. This will be true unless both Jupiter and Venus are extremely afflicted - Jupiter *could* be in Capricorn square to Saturn, and Venus *could* be in Virgo conjunct the South Node. I'm not knocking Capricorn and Virgo here, but they are tough signs for Jupiter and Venus respectively. If you've got even a passable Jupiter or Venus, your Pisces house will be a good place.

This is the difference between Neptune and Pisces: Neptune dissolves - Pisces brings benefit. Big difference!!! For the casual reader this might seem like much, but for anyone doing astrology it is a matter of huge importance. Rulership is the very foundation of interpretation. The best astrology is accurate astrology.

With Sun and Mercury in Pisces, and Venus soon to join them, find your blessings. Pisces wants time and space for this to happen. After a Sunday of watching the waves go up and down, we may glimpse a deeper certainty of our path in life. We have our vision. This way when planets land in the Spring sign of Aries, sign of new beginnings and action, we'll know exactly what to do with the rush of energy. For now, though, find your wisdom within.

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Star*Watch
All times PDT. See below for comments on other visible planets.

Sun * in Pisces. The light of our world is in the sign of the great ocean. We explore various ways of connecting to the all - music, art, spiritual life. We take time to find wisdom within.

Moon * days 14 - 20 (new Moon is day 1). Full Moon in Virgo Wednesday night.

Monday 2/21 * Moon in Leo. After an emotionally deep weekend, we take time to enjoy ourselves. We also might feel better with some physical exertion. Even artists and meditators need to move!

Tuesday 2/22 * Moon in Leo. A very bright Moon in Leo means 'put the spotlight on me please.' If we share our love, we'll naturally get the attention we seek.

Wednesday 2/23 * Full Moon in Virgo. Pisces is the sign of the All. Virgo takes care of every little detail. Today we reconcile these normally opposing principles. Just like musicians train for countless hours on scales and technique; and as Buddhist monks devoting themselves to mystic experience take hundreds of vows of conduct; our way to the All cannot ignore the detail work.

Thursday 2/24 * Moon in Virgo, Sun conjunct Uranus. Moon in Virgo is improve, clean up and accomplishment time. This is also one of the key times of the year for a detox diet. If you'd like more information on this and other ideas on living in harmony with the heavens, send for a free sample of my monthly subscription column "Living With the Gods and Goddesses."

Friday 2/25 * Moon in Virgo, into Libra in the evening. With Full Moon in Virgo this week, we can try a little test of astrology. On Thursday night, consciously spend 30 minutes or an hour cleaning up, organizing and being productive. Then after that spend the same amount of time devoting yourself to pleasure without trying to accomplish anything. Watch your mind. Now do the same on Friday. Make sure the 'productive time' happens with the Moon still in Virgo and the pleasure time' *after* the Moon goes into Libra - that means after 8:00 pm CA time. Do you notice any difference? If you do this, please share your results!

If you notice that it is easier to accomplish with Moon in Virgo; and that pleasure comes more naturally with Moon in Libra; you have just proved to yourself the value of following astrology. This one example can extend in many ways. Each sign has its own special energy. I'm not saying to plan our every detail of your life, but taking advantage of the energies makes accomplishment much easier. Go with the flow.

Saturday 2/26 * Moon in Libra, Venus into Pisces. Venus is exalted in Pisces. Instead of seeking satisfaction in material (Taurus) or relationships (Libra), we know that love is everywhere. We more easily forgive and share our sweetness with everyone we meet. After cleaning up earlier in the week with Moon in Virgo, today is a day for pleasure!

I hereby nominate the weeks of Venus in Pisces as Valentine's Fest for astrologers and everyone friendly to astrology. The highlight will be on 3/19 with Venus at 26 degrees Pisces, long considered her most benefic degree of her exaltation sign.

Sunday 2/27 * Moon in Libra, Mercury trine Saturn. Usually our minds have a tough time with Saturn as fear agitates our thinking. Today, though, we see the benefits of a long term view. We undertake serious efforts, especially in the Piscean domains or art and spirituality.

Have a stellar week!

Peace and love,
Jonathan Pearl